Monthly Archives: January 2012

Why do you need a guru?

People generally go to guru, “Sir, I have got some pain. Give me some ashirvad so that my pain may be cured.” “But why you have come here for curing your pain? You can go to some doctor, or you can take some tablet. Is it the purpose of coming to guru?” But generally they

To Ask or Not To Ask: A Few Thoughts

State repression is intensifying on all movements that stand opposed to corporate land grab and capitalist aggression, especially in the states of Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand and Odisha. It is debatable amongst us whether the armed struggle of the Maoists is making the state more belligerent on all other resistance movements, albeit with other strategies. In Odisha,

Anti-Maoist operations resume in Jharkhand

Garhwa (Jharkhand): The security forces have resumed anti-Maoist operation after halting it for two days in the hope of the release of abducted security guard Sunesh Ram, who has not returned home after the January 21 landmine blast in Garhwa district of Jharkhand. The anti-Maoist operation, which was stopped on January 28 and 29,  resumed

Clash of examinations

Students taking Odisha Joint Entrance Examination (OJEE) can’t appear for  pre-medical entrance test of  Armed Forces Medical College (AFMC) Pune this year as both the tests are scheduled to be held on May 6. OJEE authorities said it is difficult to find a date that does not clash with other  entrance dates, leaving medical aspirants

Cut-off villagers threaten poll boycott

As a last resort to pressurise the State Government to act on their demands, villagers in the cut-off region on the other side of the Chitrakonda reservoir have threatened to boycott panchayat polls. In a meeting held at Gurusetu near Panasput, 30,000 tribals of 151 villages under six gram panchayats of Kudmulgumma block have reportedly

Panchayat polls: In the race for quick bucks

Despite the hype surrounding the three-tier panchayat polls with development being the buzz word in the district, the ground realities paint a sorry picture of the elected representatives. Many of them have been tainted with cases ranging from financial to criminal. Former Sarpanch of Tabla gram panchayat, Sanyasini Badhai was sentenced on Tuesday to two

Dead saplings: History may repeat for BJD

The growing protests against the death of paddy saplings in the Hirakud Command Area are likely to cast a shadow on the poll prospects of the BJD. Though the BJD has made fresh inroads into the Congress bastion in Sambalpur district forcing it to go back-foot, the farmers issue may well help Congress retain the

Missing boy rescued

Activists of a voluntary organization in Sambalpur rescued a 13-year-old boy from  Trivandrum (Kerala) on Sunday, a few months after he had gone missing. He had gone to work in a brick kiln in Andhra Pradesh with his parents and four siblings. The boy, identified as Basudev Luha from Jhanged village under Bargarh’s  Attabira police

Now, Pipili agitators bay for Naveen’s ouster

Notwithstanding Pradip Maharathy’s resignation from the cabinet following the storm over the Pipili gang-rape incident, social organizations and political parties said they would continue with their “save women” agitation. They said Maharathy quitting as the agriculture minister was an “eyewash” and demanded chief minister Naveen Patnaik to resign owning moral responsibility for all that happened

Road accident claims three lives in Sambalpur

Three youths in the age group of 22-28 years were killed when the motorbike in which they were travelling in dashed against a standing truck at Rampela toll gate near here, the police said today. The deceased were identified as Rajesh Patel, Pankaj Nayak and Ramakanta Mahakud. While Patel and Nayak died on the spot

Upgradation of Puri stations on track

The East Coast Railway (ECoR) is in the process of preparing a 30-year master plan for the entire Bhubaneswar – Cuttack region to make it among the best in the country, General Manager of East Coast Railway Indra Ghosh has said.  Addressing the Republic Day function, he said plans are approved for upgrading the existing facilities

Task force formed to make Odisha slum free

With the objective to make the State slum-free, the State Government has constituted Odisha Slum Development Task Force under the chairmanship of Chief Secretary Bijay Kumar Patnaik. According to official sources, OSDTF would help in resource mobilisation through multilateral and bilateral funding agencies and promotion of convergence by removing interdepartmental and interagency bottlenecks. In the

Odisha: Ex-MP alleged farmers are on verge of ruination due to Government’s indolence

Former MP Bhabani Sankar Hota alleged that due to Government inaction and apathetic attitude farmers are on the verge of ruination due to extensive damage to both seedling and transplanted paddy plant which are attacked by an unknown kind of plant virus. Farmers of Hirakud command area have suffered almost 100% loss. Responding to demand

Bargarh MP in hibernation

Neglect shown to Bargarh Parliamentary constituency by its elected representative, Sanjay Bhoi, is likely to reflect on the Congress’ performance in the Panchayat elections. Ever since the Congress at the Centre served showcause on 13 party MPs, including Sanjay Bhoi, for remaining absent from the Lok Sabha during voting on the Constitution Amendment Bill on